Environment celebrates its newest graduates and and alumni gold medal winner
187 new graduates, program milestones, and a gold medalist fighting crime
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It’s convocation time again at UWaterloo.
As the leaves turn red and the weather grows cold, faculty and students don caps and gowns once again to recognize the hard work, perseverance, and achievements of our graduates.
This fall, the Environment community has 178 reasons to celebrate – 81 graduates from undergraduate degree programs, 83 from master’s programs, 13 new PhDs, and 1 Alumni Gold Medalist.
Of note this year, the first class of the innovative, new Master of Future Cities program will cross the stage, equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle rapid, global urbanization.
The Faculty is also thrilled that, recent graduate, Dr. Michelle Anagnostou has won this year’s PhD Alumni Gold Medal, which is awarded to only one PhD student each year for demonstrated academic excellence.
Dr. Anagnostou, now, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, researches using financial transactions associated with illegal wildlife trade to dismantle networks, advancing efforts to tackle this growing form of organized crime. Her innovative research and hard work won her the Governor General Gold Medal at convocation in 2025 and the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship that took her to Oxford.
When asked what she would advise other students, Dr. Anagnostou had this to say: “If you are passionate about an issue and think there are already plenty of people working on it, don’t let that stop you. There is always room for a new perspective. Pursue research that excites you and trust that your curiosity can lead to meaningful impact.”
Congratulations to Dr. Anagnostou and to all of our newest alumni. You are on the front lines of tackling Canada’s and the world’s greatest environmental challenges. We are proud of what you have achieved during your time with us and can’t wait to see what’s next.
For more information about convocation ceremonies this fall, please visit the convocation website or email convocation@uwaterloo.ca.
